1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to moveable, magnetically coupled light shades, particularly for use in vehicles such as automobiles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Imagine a disabled lady who is very short. When she drives into the sun, it shines in her eyes. The bottom of the visor is frequently at a point too high to shade her eyes when the sun is low. The best solution of the prior art is to hang a folded newspaper across the sun visor, thereby extending the area shaded downward. This sometimes but not always works. Unfortunately, it always reduces the areas of the driver""s vision.
Many drive roads which change directions as they wind and curve. When driving at certain times and directions on certain roads, the sun repeatedly switches relative positions from the front window to the front of the driver""s side window. The driver has to frequently switch the visor from front to side and back to front.
These two examples illustrate just two of the many problems left unsolved by today""s state of the art visors which are effective only some of the time in giving the driver the relief from sun light in the eyes that is sought.
Accidents some times are caused by these and other defects in the sun visors now used in cars.
What is needed but apparently not illustrated in the prior art is a means of shading at least one, and in some situations a plurality of selected areas which shading means can be moved more easily and with greater effect than the prior art as the relative position of the sun or other source moves.
The present invention comprises a system for shading the eyes of drivers and passengers and other selected areas from unwanted sunlight or other light. The term sunlight includes all types of unwanted light.
The invention comprises an at least partially transparent Ferro-magnetic screen covering the area through which unwanted light may come. Since the screen is at least partially transparent, of course, the light normally passes through the screen, and one can see through it. The screen may comprise glass with Ferro-magnetic material in it or near it. Alternatively, the Ferro-magnetic screen may be a glassless screen of any of the types known to the prior art, which allow sufficient light to pass therethrough so as not to reduce the safety of a driver driving and controlling the vehicle via information derived from light passing through the screen.
Since the screen allows light to pass therethrough, it is necessary to couple opaque to light means to the screen to cut off unwanted light.
At least one opaque to light, light in weight magnet means, powerful enough magnetically to removably magnetically couple to any selected area of the screen, remains coupled to substantially the same place on the screen in spite of normal forces exerted on the magnet due to driving, vibrations, accelerations, etc. The magnet, when coupled to the screen, has a cross-section large enough to shade a selected area such as the driver""s eyes from sunlight.
In a second example of the invention, there are a plurality of magnet means coupled at selected locations on the screen to cut off sunlight when the vehicle changes direction, thereby changing the relative position of the sun. The magnets can be thin to reduce their cost and weight, and should be relatively easy to grasp and relocate on the screen. The screen may be retrofitted to a previously constructed automobile over selected areas such as the top of the front window. The screen may be any of the prior art screens capable of coupling magnetically to a magnet.